The General Secretary for the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Charles Osei Assibey, has come to the defence of the police officers present during the Nsoatre violence.
There has been numerous commentary in the aftermath of the violence that erupted before, during, and after a matchday 19 encounter between Nsoatreman and Asante Kotoko at the Nana Kronamansah Park on Sunday, February 2, 2025.
Osei Assibey, also the president of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation, reckons police officers dispatched to various match venues are tasked with the protection of lives and properties, bringing order and discipline.
However, many questioned the essence of the officers at the Nana Kronamansah Park when they failed to quell hooliganism attacks.
Videos of the officers struggling to break up fights went viral at the end of the game in Nsoatre.
According to Osei Assibey, the police officers are often wary of a repeat of the May 9 disaster in 2001, where over 160 lives were lost.
“When the violence was going on, did the police see? I remember in the May 9 report, a number of police officers were accused of causing the deaths of many because they used tear gas. As a result of this, every police officer at match venues fears controlling crowds since then,” he said on the Sports Pack show on Max FM.
The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, has assured stakeholders involved of the police’s determination to get to the bottom of matters.
